Longtime duet partners Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn are on the same ballot for induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Both are nominated in the Songwriter/Artists category, but only one can be inducted. There’s no guarantee either will be picked, however.

Dunn shared the letter he received from the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation with his followers on Facebook last week. Per the induction guidelines, only one person in category two (Songwriter/Artist) can be inducted into the Hall of Fame. In addition to Brooks and Dunn, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Larry Gatlin are on the ballot.

Last year, the inductees were announced in August and inducted during a ceremony in October. Jennifer Bohler of the Nashville Songwriters Foundation indicated to us that there will be a similar timeline in 2012. The foundation announced the nominees on their website Friday afternoon, adding that the induction ceremony would take place on Oct. 7.

During a 20 year career as Brooks and Dunn, the Ronnie and Kix wrote or co-wrote many of the band’s biggest hits, including ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie,’ ‘Believe,’ ‘Red Dirt Road,’ and ‘Only in America.’ Remarkably, they had 20 No. 1 hits over their nearly 20 year career.